Butterfly habitat creation
Many butterfly feeding and breeding grounds in Scotland have been destroyed because of new
developments and the use of pesticides. The 56 species in Britain and Ireland are under threat today
from unprecedented environmental change. Habitats have been destroyed on a massive scale, and
now patterns of climate and weather are shifting unpredictably in response to pollution of the
atmosphere. Conserving butterflies will improve our whole environment for wildlife and enrich the
lives of people now and in the future. For more information on butterflies in Scotland see:
http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/downloads/49/bc_scotland.html and http://www.butterflyconservation.org/downloads/93/habitat_species_leaflets.html
Caterpillars
Caterpillars or larvae use their chewing mouthparts to eat the leaves and stems of plants, called host
plants. Some larvae, like the gypsy moth that feed in great numbers, can completely defoliate a
mature host plant in a matter of days. Caterpillars eat "larval" plants like milkweed, marigolds,
Queen Anne’s lace, and violets.
Butterflies
Rather than the chewing mouthparts of immature caterpillars, adult butterflies have sucking
mouthparts shaped into a long coiled tube, called a proboscis. The adult butterfly can uncoil its
proboscis and use it to suck up nectar or tree sap. Plants that adult butterflies use for food are
called nectar plants like the butterfly bush, the beauty bush, sunflowers, lilacs, snapdragons, and
zinnias.
Many butterflies have very specific food requirements. Often the host plant for the caterpillar isn’t
the same nectar plant for the adult butterfly of the same species. To be successful you must provide
both the host and nectar plants that the butterfly species in your area prefer to eat. Select plants
that are diverse in colour and bloom at different times, so you will attract butterflies throughout the
summer. Check with a nursery to see what plants will grow well in your area, and understand that
different plants attract different butterflies and caterpillars. Be sure the area receives five to six
hours of sun a day and is sheltered from the wind. Also, a mud puddle in a sunny spot will provide
butterflies with other essential salts and nutrients.
The lists below give some examples of common host plants for caterpillars and nectar plants for
butterflies throughout the United Kingdom. Ask your local nursery staff which ones are best suited
for your area and climate.
Common Host Plants for Caterpillars:
Alder
Carrot
Grasses
Parsley
Spicebush
Anise
Ceanothus
Hackberry
Passion vine
Sunflower
Aspen
Cherry
Hollyhock
Plantain
Verbena
Aster
Citrus
Hops
Plum
Violet
Apple
Clover
Lilac
Pipevine
Wild sienna
Baby’s tears
Coast live oak
Mallow
Poplar
Willow
Buckthorns
Cottonwood
Milkweed
Sassafras
Cabbage
False indigo
Nasturtium
Sedges
Nettle
Snapdragon
Canyon live oak Fennel
Common Nectar Plants for Butterflies:
Anise
Chrysanthemum Hibiscus
Mustard
Sweet pepperbush
Aster
Clover
Hollyhock
Nasturtium
Sweet William
Bee balm
Coreopsis
Honeysuckle
Oregano
Thistle
Black-eyed susan
Cosmos
Impatiens
Parsley
Verbena
Blazing stars
Daisy
Joe-pye weed
Passion vine
Violet
Buckwheat
Daylily
Lantana
Peppergrass
Yarrow
Buddleia (butterfly bush)
Dogbane
Lavender
Phlox
Zinnia
Butterfly weed
Echium
Lilac
Purple coneflower
Cardinal-flower
Firebush
Marigold
Queen Anne’s lace
Carrot
Fleabane
Mexican flame vine
Sumac
Cassia
Heliotrope
Mint
Sunflower
For more butterfly plants refer to: http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/uploads/G4LButterflies.pdf
Further reading: ‘Golf Course Management for the benefit of Butterflies and Moths.’ Refer to:
http://www.butterflyconservation.org/article/9/13/butterflies_moths_and_golf_courses_a_winning_combination_.html